Welcome to our biweekly roundup of our favorite things. We’ll only ever recommend things that we personally have tried and enjoyed.
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1. JapanBargain Japanese Pickle Press
Tsukemono are Japanese quick pickles, usually made with just salt; and this is a tsukemono press. (You could use it for sauerkraut, which you could call a kind of tsukemono too.) You slice or shred vegetables (almost any), add two to three percent salt (grams make this easier, so 2 grams salt per 100 grams veg), and press. This is a mix of carrots, daikon, watermelon radish, and shallots, just 2 percent salt, and in less than an hour you have wonderful crisp-salted veg that you can serve plain or (what I’m doing at the moment) tossed with something. (I’m using fish sauce, cilantro, a little chile, lime.) – Mark
2. Zulay Kitchen Manual Citrus Press
One of my favorite drinks at my go-to coffee shop is an espresso tonic: espresso, tonic water, and a strip of orange zest. When I asked the barista what they do with the zested oranges, a look of shame fell upon his face as he said, “We toss them.” Not anymore. They’re now going straight to me, so of course I immediately purchased this citrus press.
I didn’t realize how much actual joy squeezing fresh juice would bring me. I knew it would be fun, but I didn’t realize just how fun. I’ve always wanted one, and free oranges from the coffee shop seemed like a perfect reason to fulfill my dream.
Now every morning I have a little glass of orange juice and revel in the fact that I did it myself. I find the Zulay Citrus Press easier to use than an electric juicer—it’s easy to clean and made from cast iron so it’s solid and durable. There’s a rubberized base to keep it from slipping around. I can’t wait to try it with a pomegranate. – Holly
3. Baking and the Meaning of Life
I’ll start by saying I am a sucker for an easy recipe, and this book, by Helen Goh, who has been a recipe developer with Yotam Ottolenghi for more than a decade (and who is also a psychotherapist!), is more a “bake to impress” type book. Not that there aren’t plenty of simpler recipes in here; there are. But this will serve as more of a special occasion type baking book for me, and I’m excited about that, because two minutes into opening it up, I’d already dogeared more than a handful of recipes that I’m going to make. I’ll get specific: Chocolate Mousse Tart with Ginger-Poached Pears, Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Fluff Cream, Green Tea and Red Bean Brownies. There are also savories, like Shrimp Sambal Buns, sprinkled throughout. Very little in this book feels expected; very much of it feels unique. – Kate
4. 30% off at Thrive Market
Thrive Market is a convenient way to stock up on all your staples. Kate loves it for coconut milk and coconut oil, sea salt, canned tomatoes, crackers, sponges, cleaning supplies—and coffee! (Their coffee is really good.) The (small) membership fee is more than made up for with the discounts you’ll receive on every order. Try Thrive Market today and receive 30% off your first order AND a free gift!
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